DALLAS — The South Carolina Gamecocks just haven’t had much trouble during the NCAA tournament thus far, leaving many wondering whether they will cruise to a championship at the Final Four in Dallas.
In a Tuesday edition of the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast, host Howard Megdal and reporter Michelle Smith discussed the Gamecocks’ chances and their legacy as they head toward what might be repeat titles.
“I think South Carolina’s going to win this title, and I think we’re still going to have fun along the way,” Smith said.
Behind presumptive No. 1 WNBA draft pick Aliyah Boston and an experienced supporting cast, the Gamecocks boast a suffocating defense and multiple star players.
“It’s not just a struggle to score,” Megdal said. “The struggle to just get the ball back is impossible against South Carolina.”
As South Carolina competes in a third straight Final Four and vies for an undefeated season, the legacy of head coach Dawn Staley is building, too.
“The thing that keeps running through my head with this South Carolina team is it reminds me of that Georgetown team of 1982-85, which was anchored by a generational defensive talent, in this case Aliyah Boston, in that case Patrick Ewing,” Megdal said. “A team that is asserting its dominance on the national stage.”
Staley is a legend in the sport and only increasing her profile and reputation as time goes on.
“She has represented the program, she’s represented Black women coaches, she’s just represented herself in a way that is opening doors,” Smith said. “Dawn is doing something really profound for the game, for sports in general (with) that representation that she brings, that advocacy that she brings … and the quality of the teams that she’s building.”
South Carolina plays Iowa on Friday night in Dallas.